5 Things to Consider When Creating a Logo

A company logo speaks volumes about the history, values and identity of an enterprise. By influencing consumer perception, it can make or break a business or brand.

The process of designing a logo is one that you must approach with care. A logo must represent – in an accurate manner – the organization or brand it is for. It must be memorable and identifiable, which is why you must use the right approach when creating one. Here are five important points to keep in mind.

What the Organization or Brand Stands ForWhen designing a logo, it is very important to consider what the organization stands for. This means that you have to consider the type of business that it is supposed to represent, as well as its niche, if any. Products or services offered also deserve consideration.

The logo must represent the spirit of the business. If the company deals with sports equipment for instance, then the logo must be a representation of fitness. You could also have a symbol that consists of someone using the equipment the company sells. On the other hand, a logo that has an image of food will be a poor representation of what that particular business offers. Such a symbol would be more suited to a restaurant, food-delivery company, or any other food-related company.

An important factor in logo design is understanding the value offering and target audience of the organization or brand. Who are you talking to? What are you trying to say? Once you know the answers to these questions, put yourself in the shoes of your ideal consumer and tackle every part of the logo design process from their point of view. A successful logo will communicate the right message to the right person, in the right tone, at a sweeping glance.

ScalabilityAny logo that you create must be scalable, no matter what size you intend to use for advertisement purposes. Design with the intention to make the logo as versatile as possible. Remember, this visual representation will be used on multiple mediums, including your website, stationery, business cards, advertising material and other company merchandise. A scalable logo is one that retains its original look and message, whether it is advertised in a large billboard or in the small print of a business card. Thus, moderate the level of detail, white spaces, complex gradients and other exciting elements to ensure that your logo is adaptable to different materials, sizes and mediums.

A logo that becomes distorted when it is either expanded or compressed is not a good choice. Such a logo will look bad when it is used to advertise the company through some types of media, which in turn will make a bad impression on the target audience.

Color Combination and VersatilityHow versatile is your logo color combination? A logo design must look just as good in black and white, as it would in its original colors. The costs of printing logos are usually affected by the color choices that exist. Multiple colors cost more to print than black and white. This means that colors should be limited without compromising the overall impact of the logo.

Your logo design also needs to be made in such a way that the use of multiple colors during printing does not distort the symbols you have used. This means that faint outlines within your design should be avoided because they can cause multiple colors to blend.

The color palette that you opt for should also reflect the mood and impact that you want to achieve. Bold colors like yellow are a great way of showing that your company places emphasis on fun products and services. Darker colors like navy blue and black are an indication of stability.

TypefaceHow your typeface appears will affect the impression that you make on your target audience. Different fonts have different styles, and these styles convey different messages. The typeface that you select will speak volumes about the nature of the business or brand by adding context to the graphic design elements in the logo.

Typefaces that are more modern would be a great option for your organization if your target audience is the youth. On the other hand, typefaces which are classic in nature would appeal more to a mature target audience. Doodle-like typefaces would be a wonderful option for a business, if the products or services were geared toward children. The choice of typeface really depends on the feel you are going for.

UniquenessIt is easy to fall into the trap of short-term trends, but the last thing you should do is seek inspiration from what is popular right now. Fads will come and go, but a good logo is one which will last forever. In order to achieve this eternal quality, forget about what is popular in the design world and focus on drawing out the essence of your brand.

You must think differently and be unique. People will only remember what stands out from the rest of the crowd. Create something memorable that is easy to recall – the Nike tick, for instance. The last thing you want is to have a logo that will be mistaken for that of a competitor. The situation will be worse if the logo resembles that of an organization that is well-established. You may end up looking like a copycat, be sued for copyright infringement, and may end up needing to spend more money to source for another design.

Take the time to do your research. Check what other organizations similar to yours have. You can use their existing logos as inspiration, but your logo design must be distinguishable from theirs to prevent confusion among the people you’re targeting. Think outside the box to ensure that your products are always instantly recognizable even amidst the stiffest competition.

When you consider the factors listed above, you are sure to come up with a great logo. You can expect a cost-effective, scalable, and yet instantly recognizable one that makes a positive impression on your target market every time.